James Hypnobabies Birth

I feel like I had a very positive experience, however you might want to use your BOP for good measure :)

Okay, so here it goes…

My water broke 24-hours before I started activly birthing. I had some mild pressure waves (pw) throughout the night, and listened to Easy First Stage on the couch with my dog, but things slowed down once morning came. We kept my doula (J) updated throughout the day, but by mid-afternoon I was thinking about going to the hospital. I even called my doc, but J thought that things would progress as night fell, and they did.

She suggested that my husband (who had stayed home from work) and I get out and walk to speed things along, so we decided to go to Target, but she recommended that I first do 45 min of knee-chest position to ensure that the baby was in the correct position. That was tough! While we were in Target the pw started getting more intense. I had to stop several times in the store to relax through them. We went home and ate some delicious Chinese take out.

My husband called J around 8:00pm to let her know that things had really picked up, but I still wanted/needed privacy so she didn’t come until he called her again (around 9 PM). J was a big help for my husband, even though she was very calming and supportive for me, as well. I was having intense feelings during the pw, but they were manageable. J helped me remember my “peace” cues and I listened to my Hypnobabies CD tracks – both helped me remain calm and relaxed.

About an hour after J arrived, the waves got really intense and were relentless. I was in the bathroom standing over the sink, and I was not getting any breaks in between. There was no relief and I could find no comfort in any position. I threw up twice and then we left for the hospital. Surprisingly, the car ride was very pleasant. I felt like I was not even a part of this world. I went to a very primal place, and do not remember much about the rest of the labor.

I do remember that when the nurse checked my cervix it was VERY uncofortable, but I was already 10 cm which made me happy. I labored for several more hours – side lying, hands and knees, and kneeling while holding on to my husband,. I also remember counting down from 5 to 1 over and over and over. I practiced that a lot as part of my Hypnobabies program, and it served me well “in the moment”.

However, I was so content to be “in the moment”, that pushing was not even on my radar. I never felt the “urge” to push and pushing was the most challenging part of my whole experience. ::BOP:: I felt totally unprepared for the sensations of stretching and burning. The sensations were so powerful that I began to feel afraid. Instead of embracing the pain and pushing through it, I tried to stall mentally and physically…. I could have saved myself a lot of effort, if my head had been in a good place. I actually asked for a mirror, thinking that if I could see what I was working for I would be more motivated.

Eventually my blood pressure was an issue and Bowen’s heart rate dropped very low. The nurses gave me oxygen, and my doctor told me that I had to push my baby out – now. I doug in deep and I pushed his head out. It was so amazing and surreal to see his head in the mirror. The cord was wrapped around his neck once. It easily slipped over his head, but his shoulders were “stuck”. After a couple of minutes (probably mere seconds) I was able to push as my doc maneuvered, and Bowen was finally here! (Feb 12) They immediately placed him on my chest and did not take him for stats foruntil we asked them to – 6 hours later!

I was on an endorphin high. I just held my baby, and looked at his beautiful little face, amazed and proud of the work we had done. I was only in active labor for 12 hours and went into labor on the day that I visualized during my hypnobabies practice!! I laugh now that I channeled Zena: Warrior Princess because I sounded like a primal warrior. Birthing was work and it was challenging, but it was not impossible; and the reward is immeasurable!